Ski clip

ABSTRACT

A SKI CLIP FOR HOLDING A PAIR OF SKIS AND SKI POLES IN A NEAT, COMPACT BUNDLE, THE CLIP HAVING SPRING ARMS BETWEEN WHICH THE SKIS ARE CLAMPED AND A SHAFT EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SKIS HAVING AN ABUTMENT MEMBER AT A FREE END FOR HOLDING THE SKIS WITHIN THE ARMS AND AGAINST A BASE OF THE SKI CLIP, SPRING CLIPS EXTENDING FROM THE BASE RECEIVE AND HOLD SKI POLES IN SPACED, PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO THE SKIS.

Dec. 14, 1971 R. J. DARNEY EI'AL SKI CLIP Filed Aug. 6, 1970 M T xRuin-rt J. Da rnuy and [)muglzm (iomihrrmd Agent United States Patent OU.S. C]. 24-81 SK Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE -A ski clip forholding a pair of skis and ski poles in a neat, compact bundle, the cliphaving spring arms between which the skis are clamped and a shaftextending between the skis having an abutment member at a free end forholding the skis within the arms and against a base of the ski clip.Spring clips extending from the base receive and hold ski poles inspaced, parallel relationship to the skis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to devices for bundling skis and ski poles.

Prior art In bundling skis and ski poles it is common practice to firststrap the skis together and then to strap the ski poles so the skis.Straps used for this purpose are usually made of leather or othernon-stretchable material, Children find such straps difficult to apply,furthermore, non-stretchable straps frequently loosen and the skis andski poles move with respect to each other.

Elastic straps are also used but these, too are difiicult for childrento apply.

Further, skis and poles bundled in this manner are usually carried on askiers shoulder and often leave marks across, and occasionally rip, hisjacket.

Straps are usually placed in a skiers pocket with his gloves after heremoves the straps from his skis. When he next takes his gloves from hispocket the straps can be, and are, frequently accidently withdrawn andlost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a ski clip forholding skis and ski poles in a neat, compact bundle with the ski polesso disposed so that they serve as a carrying handle for the bundle.

The ski clip of the present invention is easily applied to and removedfrom skis yet cannot easily be accidentally dislodged once it isapplied.

The ski clip of the present invention furthermore is bulky and,consequently, is not as easily lost as conventional straps.

The present ski clip has a base adapted to fit against adjacent sideedges of a pair of skis which are arranged in parallel, bottom to bottomrelationship and has a shaft which extends between the skis, the shafthaving, at a free end, an abutment member which has abutment surfacesengageable with adjacent side edges of this skis. Spring arms extendfrom the base on opposite sides of the shaft for clasping the skis andholding the latter against the shaft. Spring clips spaced from the basereceive and grip a pair of ski poles.

A detailed description following, related to the drawings, givesexemplification of apparatus and method according to the inventionwhich, however, is capable of expression in method and means other thanthose particularly described and illustrated.

3,626,553 Patented Dec. 14, 1971 DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is aside view of skis and ski poles with ski clips of the inventionattached,

FIG. 2 is a view of a ski clip,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with the ski clip holding a pair ofskis and ski poles.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1 and 2 FIG. 1 shows ski clips of theinvention, generally 5, holding a pair of skis 6 and ski poles 7 inspaced parallel relationship. The skis, conventionally, are of minimumwidth at a mid-point 6.1 and gradually widened to maximum width at tips8 and heels 9. The skis also taper in thickness from a maximum near themid-point to a minimum at the tips and heels.

The clip 5, see FIG. 2, which is made of a resilient material such asnylon, has a central shaft 11 which extends centrally from, andperpendicular to, a flat base 12. The shaft 11 terminates at a free endin an abutment member 13 which is shaped as an arrowhead having slopingshoulders 14-14 which extend outwards of the shaft and terminate inabutment surfaces 14.114.1 disposed parallel to the base 12. Theabutment surfaces =14.'114.1 are spaced a distance A from the base 12,the distance A being greater than the minimum width but less than themaximum width of the skis.

Spnng arms 1515 extend, on opposite sides of the shaft, from the base12. At the base 12 the arms are spaced from the shaft a distance B whichdistance is greater than the maximum thickness of the ski. Each armcurves inwards from the base towards and touches the abutment member 13and then curves outwards and away from the shoulder 14-14. The arms arespaced from the shaft 11, adjacent the abutment member 13, a distance Cwhich is less than the minimum thickness of the skis.

A support 17 extends from the base 12 in an opposite direction to, andin alignment with, the shaft 11. Laterally opening spring clips 18 and19 are disposed adjacent the free end 20 of the support 17. Each of thespring clips has a pair of short arms 21 converging towards tips 22 andis spaced from the base 12 a distance D, approximately 1 /2 inches. Thearms 21 are spaced apart a sufficient distance as to provide a snap fitfor a ski pole 7. Strengthening fillets 24 extend between the base andthe support 17 to reduce stress concentration at a juncture of thesupport and the base.

FIGS. 2 and 3 In using the ski clip 5, the skis 6 are arranged parallelto each other with bottoms 26 touching. A ski clip 5.1, is fitted to thepair of skis at their mid-p0intthe shaft 11 extending between the skisand the arms 15 extending on opposite sides so as to clasp the skistogether. The ski clip 5 is then moved out towards the heels of the skisuntil adjacent side edges of the latter are wedged between the abutmentsurfaces 1414 and the base 12, as seen in FIG. 3. Another ski clip 5.2is applied to the skis in the same manner and moved outwards towardstips of the skis as far as it will go, that is until opposite adjacentside edges of the skis are wedged as described. The ski poles are thenfitted in the ski clips 18 and 19, the poles being reversed so that abasket of one is disposed adjacent a handle of the other.

Frictional engagement of the base 12 and abutment surfaces 1414 with theside edges of the skis together with frictional engagement of the springclips 18 and 19 with ski poles inhibits movement of the clip 5longitudinally of the skis and, consequently, inhibits longitudinalmovement of the skis relative to each other. The ski poles 3 are spacedfrom the skis approximately 1 /2 inches and serve as a carrying handlefor the compact bundle of the skis and ski poles. The skis and ski polescan, therefore, be carried in the manner of a suitcase. The bundle ofskis and ski poles can also be carried over a skiers shoulder in aconventional manner.

It is evident, as seen in FIG. 3, that the skis cannot be easilydislodged from the ski clip as they are wedged firmly between the base12 and the abutment surfaces 1414. A ski can only be dislodged bypulling one of the arms away from the shaft and moving the abutmentmember out of engagement with the ski.

It is evident that the ski clips have considerable bulk and are,therefore, not easily lost.

We claim:

1. A ski clip for holding a pair of skis arranged, the cli including:

(a) a fiat base adapted to fit against adjacent side edges of a pair ofskis disposed in parallel bottom to bottom relationship,

(b) a shaft extending centrally of the base adapted to extend betweenthe skis, the shaft having a free end,

() spring arms connected to the base on opposite sides of the shaft forclamping the skis against the shaft, and

(d) an abutment member at the free end of the shaft engageable withopposite adjacent side edges of the skis for holding the skis againstthe base.

2. A ski clip as claimed in claim 1 including spring clips connected tothe base for holding a pair of ski poles in parallel spaced relationshipto the base.

3. A ski clip as claimed in claim 1 in which the abutment member isshaped as an arrowhead having sloping shoulders terminating in abutmentsurfaces, said surfaces extending outwards of the shaft parallel to thebase.

4. A ski clip as claimed in claim 1 in which the abutment surfaces arespaced from the base a distance greater than a minimum width of the skisbut less than a maximum width thereof.

5. A ski clip as claimed in claim 1 in which the spring clips include asupport extending from the base and two pairs of converging armsextending from the support and spaced from the base, the spring clipsopening outwards away from each other and laterally of the base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,225,987 12/1965 Bonner 224 SFOREIGN PATENTS 473,301 3/1927 Germany 2801l.37 A

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

